Jeff McKenna

Jeff McKenna has had a long and varied career in software.  Here are his own words.

I received my first paycheck in 1962 as a tester, testing functions such as sin and cosine that were used in tracking satellites. I was caught in the magic of software and the potential to help humans. I took my first business trip.

While at college I continued to become a coder, a designer, and an architect as I followed the evolution of hardware from mainframes to minis to microprocessors. A great deal of my work was at the level of operating systems - staying close to the metal. During this time I was involved in leading edge Proof Of Concept work. Examples: I created a unique (at the time) multiprocessing debugger for a mini. I designed and coded the first microprocessor based pinball machine including some hardware!

These early experiences were using assembly language on the various machines. Using microprocessors as embedded intelligence in hardware was fascinating.  No operating systems (MS-DOS) existed on those machines.  At the end of this period, I was branching out in capacity and found myself as a researcher and sales person involved with AI.  And I found an object-oriented language that I loved: Smallttalk.  

I became a world class expert on Smalltalk and my love of teaching expanded. I traveled  around the world teaching about object-oriented programming and Smalltalk. My extensive experience gave and still gives me lots of examples of the application of high level principles and values to current problems. 

I mention my time with Smalltalk here because of its outsized influence on the development of agile.  In 1992, I had a coaching job that has turned out to be pivotal in the industry: Being a coach on the first Scrum team. Taking small bites, getting immediate feedback, relentless testing and focusing on value are examples of practices that are strong in the Smalltalk culture.  My contributions to the first scrum team included bringing in those values and practices. I hear my own voice when I read the Scrum Guide. 

In the last 15 years I have been teaching and coaching on agile techniques with an emphasis on Scrum.  I have taught over 9000 students in certified classes.  Feedback from my students and clients tells me that I am pragmatic, not dogmatic, in my outlook and I tell the truth as I see it.  Both characteristics are important for me as a coach and a teacher.  I also have lots of applicable and fun stories taken from the six decades of my experience.

Since that experience on the first Scrum team, I have invested in learning more about human and team psychology, human communication styles and other topics related to being a conscious human.  Adding this knowledge to my natural enthusiasm, deep experience and an entertaining style has strengthened my ability to give positive training experiences and provide deep help to my coaching clients.